Vagrant Genes: Itinerary

Sylbee Kim

Sylbee Kim, Vagrant Genes: Itinerary, 2021. Single channel 4K video, color, sound. 16 min 30 sec. Courtesy of the artist

Set during the COVID-19 pandemic, this artwork examines the irony of human isolation and the spread of infectious diseases, which correspond to migratory birds that use the Earth's magnetic field and their innate genetic navigational sensibility as guides during their seasonal transit. The Berlin-based artist collaborated with fellow Berlin-based choreographer Jung Sun Kim to develop a type of gymnastics for the isolated human body. In order to convey this choreography to Nacca, a Japanese activist living in Busan, the artist lands at Incheon Airport that has been deserted due to the pandemic and accompanies Nacca practicing on Eulsukdo Island, a habitat for migratory birds. This work juxtaposes images of immigrants and migratory birds living in different places and offers an intimate look at infectious diseases caused by anthropocentrism, the isolation of the human civilizations in the aftermath of a pandemic and the indivisible global networks of viruses or air currents. The gymnastics guide Vagrant Genes: Choreography can be viewed on YouTube: https://rb.gy/qufliq.

Sylbee Kim (b. 1981, Seoul, Berlin)

Sylbee Kim experiments with digital and physical making processes to imagine sociopolitical grounds for less destructive ways of living and dying. She is the first Asian board member of bbk berlin-The Professional Association of Visual Artists Berlin. Kim held solo exhibitions at Mélange Cologne, Nevan Contempo Prague, and Insa Art Space Seoul, Project Space SARUBIA Seoul among others. She participated in group exhibitions at Gwangju Biennale, National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Korea, ARKO Art Center, Seoul Museum of Art, Kunstverein Göttingen, Neuer Berliner Kunstverein, University of Bremen, as well as SeMA Biennale Mediacity Seoul 2016 NERIRI KIRURU HARARA.

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